Recently, Portuguese forward Pedro Neto gave an exclusive interview to camel.live reporters, discussing topics such as Diogo Jota’s passing, the team’s World Cup prospects, and the Champions League.
This is the national team’s first gathering since Diogo Jota’s passing. How is the team doing now? What are your expectations for João Félix’s future? Do you hope to get more opportunities at Chelsea?
Coming back here, yet no longer feeling his presence… These past few days have been really tough, and there’s a void in all our hearts. But the most important thing now is to turn this emotion into strength and determination—to honor him and fight for the common goals we shared. We know he must be giving us strength in another way, helping us achieve those goals.
As for João Félix, everyone knows his ability. I was lucky to work alongside him for six months; he’s an incredibly talented player. Whether he got playing time before mostly depended on the head coach’s tactical choices, but whenever he got the chance, he performed exceptionally well. His ability is there for all to see. I hope he can prove himself again now, play the football that’s true to him—that’s what matters most. If he’s given the freedom to express himself, he’ll definitely shine again.
Regarding my future at Chelsea, it’s about doing better than last year and putting in even more effort.
For this World Cup qualifying campaign, what are your personal goals and the team’s goals?
At the team level, our focus is on the next six games—not only to secure qualification but also to prove we’re one of the top teams, just like we did in the UEFA Nations League. I think these games are the perfect chance to show our strength, and we’ll prove it with our focus and solid ability.
On a personal level, it’s about doing better and working harder than before, then seeing what comes of it. After all, the future is full of uncertainties; all we can do is give our all.
Will the 2024/25 season be the best of your career?
So far, yes—but I hope there are even better seasons ahead of me. This season has indeed been successful, and I’ve learned a lot from it. Obviously, every one of us has the dream of winning the World Cup, and that dream isn’t out of reach. I talked to Enzo Fernández before; he’s the first player to win both the Club World Cup and the World Cup with his national team. I told him I want to achieve that too—it’s a dream I’ve always had. So my goal is clear: train hard, give my all, and try to make that dream come true.
Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from Diogo Jota’s funeral. Has this been discussed in the dressing room? Did it affect his image as captain?
I’m not in a position to judge our captain. He must have had his own reasons for being absent—you’d need to ask him directly for the details. I can’t comment on this matter.
Which position do you think you perform best in? Are you happy to face Benfica in the Champions League?
Honestly, my favorite position is right winger. When I first started playing as a forward in the youth academy, that’s the position I played. Actually, I initially played as a midfielder. But over the years, right winger is still the position I’m most comfortable in.
We faced Benfica before in the Club World Cup, and we also met Coach Lage there—he used to manage me. Being able to play against a team like Benfica is an honor in itself. Every player craves these kinds of high-level challenges, and I’m really looking forward to facing them again.
Are you completely free from the trouble of injuries now? How did you achieve your current consistent form?
My past injury experiences taught me a lot and helped me understand my body better. I had to study parts of my body I hadn’t paid attention to before and did a lot of professional tests. But the key thing is that I started focusing more on consistency in training and a regular routine—and I’ve stuck to it. It’s thanks to these things that I can now maintain consistent form, and I’ll keep doing so in the future.
How do you see yourself before joining Chelsea versus now? Has the “best Pedro Neto” not arrived yet?
I think I’ve changed a lot compared to before. When I first joined Chelsea, I had to adapt to a completely new style of play. The Premier League clubs I played for before didn’t focus on possession as much as Chelsea does. During my time at
Chelsea, the biggest improvement I’ve made is my ability to handle the ball in tight spaces. Because opponents often drop their defensive lines deeper, the team needs more possession-based organization—this forced me to shift from “relying on quick counterattacks” to “being better at organizing play with possession.”
My experiences with the national team have also helped a lot, because national team games also emphasize possession, and I often need to create chances in the opposition’s half. Besides that, I’ve also improved in areas like movement in the box when crossing, positioning in key areas of the penalty area, and my finishing ability.
As a favorite team in the group, does this put more pressure on you?
I think this is “healthy pressure.” Truly top teams need to prove themselves not only in major tournaments and key matches but also in qualifiers with consistent performances. There’s no doubt we’re favorites, and we like being labeled as such. We’re here to win every game, play in the style of Portuguese football, and approach each match with the determination to win.
You’re about to make your Champions League debut—has this been a dream come true? Are you already looking forward to it?
Without a doubt, this is definitely a dream come true. More importantly, being able to step onto the Champions League stage is an honor in itself. This is my first chance to feature in the Champions League. Right now, my focus is on the national team games, but I’m definitely already looking forward to the moment I make my Champions League appearance.
Do you think the internal competition at Chelsea has helped your growth?
When the club signs high-level players who can contribute to the team, that’s definitely a good thing. But for me, what’s more important is “competing with myself”—my daily training, my work ethic. In other words, I try my best to be my best every day. I know that as long as I maintain my level, I’ll have a better chance to help the team and show my ability. So I’ll focus on doing my own part well and playing well in every game; as for the final team selection, I’ll leave that to the head coach.
